Proverbs are an important part of the multicultural experience and they are consistently intertwined with socio-cultural and political webs of the people. Proverbs depict and unveil generational continuity, wisdom, power, and humility. To a large measure, they provide deeper meanings and explications of complex situations, events, and daily activities. They portray a true picture of the originality and valuing of oral tradition to the multicultural perspective. In more ways than one, proverbs expose dialogue and discourse as a part of the vernacular of people and they are the icing on the cake in daily oral interactions of diverse communities in the United States and around the world.

In 100 Multicultural Proverbs: Underlying Educational Principles for Today's Educators and Leaders, proverbs from different African, Asian, Native American, and Latino tribes, communities, and countries are presented. These proverbs have implications for collaboration, consultation, and cooperation. Everyone has a role in building his or her community. The influx of immigrant minorities into the fabric of the United States society makes it imperative for educators and leaders to change their ways of thinking, teaching, learning, and leading. Clearly, the paradigms and powers have shifted in our society - we can and must learn from each other. To a large extent, this book exposes different ways to solve problems - some ways are through serious thinking and some are through humor.

"A rich, lively, and positive commentary on our global cultures. Obiakor's selection of proverbs and the conceptual framework for the book is, to say the least, powerful. Equally impressive and effective are his brief interpretations and prescriptions for the appropriate use of these proverbs for those involved in education, leadership, and service provision." -- From the Foreword by Jacob U. Gordon"Obiakor poignantly bestows upon us the infinite wisdom of culturally diverse peoples that has been passed down from generation to generation. At the same time, he provides interpretations that challenge us to rethink traditional school leadership and teaching styles in ways that lead to transformed educational practices for all learners-adults and children alike-in an age of accountability and reform." -- Stanley C. Trent, Associate Professor of Special Education"Obiakor's interpretations of the proverbs challenge the ordinary mind to shift paradigms and power and expand our imaginations to use real principles to solve real problems. In addition, his interpretations uniquely touch on all facets of life and challenge educators and leaders to do the right thing." -- William B. Harvey, Vice President for Equity & Diversity Affairs"Teachers and administrators will find it a fine collection useful as a starting point for explorations of other cultures." -- The Bookwatch, June 2008

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Proverbs That Teach Self-Responsibility

If Everyone Loves You, You Will Not Know Who Poisoned You

If You Tell a Tree that You Will Kill It...

The Rat That Joins the Lizard to Get Wet in the Rain...

What You're Looking for Is What You Will Get

What a Person Does Is in His Heart

If You've Not Reached Where You're Going, You Should Keep Going

Eneke the Bird Noted That Since Men Have Learned to...

Your Intelligence Is Your Handbag, and You Carry It...

When a Young Man Washes His Hands Properly...

The Lizard That Fell From the Iroko Tree Said That If...

The Person Who Blows the Flute Must Sometimes Wipe His Mouth

The Dog Does Not Chew the Bone That Is Hanging Around Its Neck

If You Do Not Allow People to Know What Your Size...

If You Pull a Tree and It Pulls You Back, You Should Leave it Alone

If One Is Not Careful, What Destroyed His Father Might Destroy Him

As You Make Your Bed so Will You Lie on It

If You Try to Wrestle Down Your Father, His Wrapper Will Cover Your Eyes

When You Chew the Dried Meat, it Fills Up Your Mouth

You Can Cry All You Want, But You Cannot Cry Out Blood

Where You Live Is Where You Protect

Money Is the Beauty of a Man

It Is Not the Load That Breaks Us Down; It Is the Way We Carry It

A Good Name Shines in the Dark

A Person Who Does Not Concede Defeat Is Not a Good Sport

A Person Who Praises the Rain Has Been Rained On

Proverbs That Teach Collaboration and Consultation

Life Is in the Ears

To Come and Eat Is Not to Come and Work!

A Tree Cannot Make a Forest

When Mother Cow Is Chewing Grass, the Younger Ones Look at Her Mouth

It Takes a Whole Village to Raise a Child

When You Wrestle Someone to the Ground, You Also...

A Fool Does Not Know That His Brother or Sister Is a Visitor

The Fly Without an Advisor Follows the Dead Body Into the Grave

A Gathering of Kinsmen and Kinswomen Is an...

When Two Elephants Fight, Grasses Suffer

Laughter Is Just a Matter of Moving Back the Cheek

A Good Friend Is Better Than a Bad Family Member

The Tiger's Cub Does Not Chew Grass

If You Give Your Mother a Counterfeit Money, You...

The Person Who Sits Next to Someone Can Easily Smell His Mouth

The Knife and the Axe Do Not Compete

You Cannot Climb a Tree Without Support

Let the Kite and the Eagle Perch and Whichever One...

The Crazy Person and His Mind Understand

In My Poverty, Let Not Poverty Befall the Person Who...

The Child's Home, Even If It Is Trashy, Is Always a Palace Away From Home

The Rooster Does Not Forget Who Plucked Its Feathers...

When the Moon Is Shining, a Person With a Physical...

When a Child Is Tired of Working, He Resorts to Fighting

When You Dig a Ditch for Others, You Might Fall in It

Proverbs That Teach Spirituality

If You're Eating With the Devil, You Must Use a Long Spoon

If You Fall Down and Do Not Stand Up, Evil Will Take Over

God Does Not Give You a Load That You Cannot Carry

Evildoers Are Usually Pursued By Their Own Shadows

Do Not Put Yourself Where Your Faith Will Fail You

I Am Holding My Staff and You Are Holding Your...

The Toughest Head Carries the Masquerade

Let's Continue to Sacrifice and Let the Blame Go to the Gods

God Gives and God Takes

If You Are Better Than Someone, You Might Be Better...

No Person Is God

God Knows the Heart of Everyone

The Same Mother Delivers the Children, but the Same...

When You Believe, Your God Will Believe

God's Time Is The Best

You Can Never Become Someone Else's God

The Opportunity That God Sends Does Not Wake Up...

Everyone Has His/Her Own God

There Is No Partnership Between Good and Evil

A Person Who Ridicules Good Will Become Overtaken by Evil

The Fear of God Is Not Based on What We Wear

A Person Who Trusts in God Lacks Nothing

A Witch Doctor Does Not Cure Himself

Where There Are Many People, There God Is

The Veil Spirit of a Person Is a Person

Proverbs That Teach Other Life Lessons

Nights Have Ears

As Much as You Love Your Husband, You Will Not Want to be Buried Alive With Him